Blog

Seeds of Hope in Bloom: A Taste of Home

With support from a $2,850 Seeds of Hope grant from the C. Jean Moore Endowment Fund, Beaconsfield United Church in Beaconsfield, Quebec, envisioned an opportunity for newcomers to experience familiar food, build relationships, and find a sense of home. 

The Taste of Home / Taste & Togetherness project had two parts: Taste of Home provided culturally familiar Nigerian soups and stews to refugee participants through monthly Soup Sundays. Taste & Togetherness brought the congregation and refugee community together for larger fellowship lunches. 

From November 2025 to May 2026, the congregation hosted six Soup Sundays. Each month, Nigerian chef Olusola Ogunremi (known as Sola) prepared an authentic Nigerian soup or stew using traditional recipes and ingredients. 

Approximately 21 containers were prepared each month, and distributed through a draw during Sunday announcements. Between over 40 refugee participants typically entered each draw, quickly turning Soup Sunday into something people looked forward to. 

“Food can be an extraordinarily effective community-building tool. What began as food support became something people anticipated and celebrated together. The draw created excitement and helped newcomers feel included quickly; occasionally a first-time visitor even won a container, making a memorable first impression of welcome.” 

A taste of home 

Participants repeatedly praised the authenticity and quality of Sola’s cooking. Dishes included Nigerian Fish Soup, Egusi Soup, Efo Riro, Ogbono, and Mixed Meat Stew. 

Culturally familiar food can bring comfort, memories, and a connection to family for people building a new life far from home. One person said that eating Sola’s stew made them feel as though they were back home, and their mum had cooked it. 

The food also offered some practical support for families. Nigerian ingredients are often expensive, and household finances can be limited, so a container of prepared stew can pair with an inexpensive side like rice to create a more substantial family meal. 

Sometimes both a parent and child from the same family won the draw, giving them enough food to share together. 

Food brings people together 

The project also led to two larger Taste & Togetherness fellowship lunches. One became an especially memorable celebration: 

A refugee couple in the congregation, with limited financial resources and no extended family in Canada, asked to be married during a Sunday worship service. BUC offered to turn one of the fellowship lunches into their wedding celebration. 

Sola prepared an elaborate traditional Nigerian meal, while 12–15 volunteers helped with the event to prepare the Gathering Space. A large wedding cake was donated. 

The couple didn’t have their relatives in Canada on their wedding day, but they had their church family surrounding them. 

The occasion became a joyful celebration of food, fellowship, and community. 

Growing with the community 

The project has strengthened relationships among refugee families, volunteers, the minister, and long-time congregation members. It has also highlighted the importance of drawing on the knowledge and talents already present within the community. 

And as the refugee community changes, the program is changing with it. 

Over the past six months, BUC has welcomed a significant number of refugees from Ghana and has already started serving Ghanaian food alongside Nigerian dishes. Over the next year, the congregation plans to introduce Ghanaian soups and stews into Taste of Home while continuing the Nigerian dishes that have become so popular. 

BUC also hopes Taste of Home can eventually become an established part of its refugee integration and support ministry, growing alongside the Nigerian, Ghanaian, and other newcomer communities that make up the congregation. 

What began as a way to provide culturally familiar food has become an opportunity for practical support, cultural sharing, volunteering, fellowship, and connection. 

Most importantly, it is helping newcomers move from receiving assistance to becoming active members of their community. A taste of home, BUC has learned, can also be a taste of belonging. 

Interested in applying for a Seeds of Hope grant or other grants that help bring stories of spirituality and community to life? We are now accepting applications. Applications are due October 15, 2026.